Make It Count
by prosebyalicia
Summary: Piper Anderson is the newest foreign languages specialist at MI6. Initally, she and Q find themselves at odds with each other. But when they're assigned to work together, can they forge a new friendship (or perhaps something more). Q/OC (Post-Skyfall)
1. Chapter 1: First Day

She closed her eyes, sighing deeply as she focused on the sounds around her.

Heels clicking against the concrete. Voices loud and chattering about some football match. The familiar sound of cars rushing past on the road behind her.

Opening her eyes she took a deep breath.

"C'mon Piper," she muttered quietly to herself, "You can do this."

She pushed her shoulders back, hoping it would make her appear confident, (a tip she'd read in one of Amy's many Cosmopolitans that littered their flat).

More than anything she was beginning to doubt her choice in her heels and pencil skirt. But Amy had tutted at her last night when she saw the original outfit choice.

* * *

><p><em>"Pipe, no," the blonde said, sitting on her flatmate's bed.<em>

_"What? I'm not allowed to wear trousers to work? It's 2014, Amy. I can wear what I'd like," the redhead retorted, putting her hand on her hip. _

_"All I'm saying is you wanna make a good impression, yeah?" Amy said, continuing as Piper nodded back at her, "So go in there preparing to wow them. Besides, you're dressing for yourself, don't you want to look nice on your first day?"_

_"I'd prefer not to look like a street walker Amy," Piper said seriously, turning her nose up at the tight skirt and heels her friend had chosen._

_Amy rolled her eyes._

_"Just do it and I'll bugger off," she said._

_Piper sighed, as Amy grinned and handed her the clothes._

* * *

><p>Smoothing an invisible wrinkle from her skirt, Piper made her way into the building. A brief security check and then she was escorted to an elevator.<p>

After what seemed like ages, the doors opened and Piper stepped out. She saw a women, in a similar skirt to hers (not that she would dare give Amy the satisfaction of knowing she was right), smiling brightly at her.

"Piper Anderson?" she asked. Piper nodded, smiling back at the women in front of her. "My name is Eve Moneypenny, I'm here to take you to see M. Welcome to MI6."

Steel and white, Piper was beginning to notice that Mi6's taste in décor was lacking. She supposed that they had more important matters to deal with than what colour to paint the walls, but the walls felt sterile.

"M will see you now," Eve said, shaking Piper from her own thoughts.

She nodded, opening the door. She saw a man, likely in his late 40s to early 50s, smiling at her as she walked in.

"Good morning, Miss Anderson," he said, motioning for her to sit down.

"Piper is fine with me, sir," she said as she sank into the chair. She placed her hands in her lap, hoping that M wouldn't see her fidgeting. Her nerves were starting to get the better of her.

"Very well, Piper," M replied, looking down at a dossier on his desk. Piper assumed it was about her.

"You certainly have incredible credentials Piper, and for someone so young. You're the youngest person we've ever hired," M said.

Piper nodded, "I promise my work will be at par with my older colleagues."

M laughed.

"I have no doubt it will, Piper. Besides you are the first person we've found with your extensive knowledge of language," he said kindly.

"M," a deeper voice interrupted.

Piper turned and was met with a tall handsome blonde. He looked at her, nodding slightly, before ignoring her to focus solely on M.

"007…" M began warningly, "I'm in the middle of a meeting, as you can see." He motioned to Piper, who lifted her hand to wave at the intruder.

"Oh," he began, looking over the woman sitting in the chair. He walked over to her and shook her hand.

"I'm Bond, James Bond," he said with a husky tone.

Piper nodded, "Piper Anderson, foreign languages specialist."

Bond laughed softly at the redhead, "I'm sorry to be rude but aren't you a little young?"

Piper's smile turned to a frown as she opened her mouth, ready to berate this man. Luckily, M interrupted her.

"Piper is 23, but what she lacks in age, she makes up for in incredible talent. She's fluent in over ten different languages," M said.

"I stand corrected then," Bond said, "Apologies, Piper."

She smiled as M turned back to her, "I apologize for cutting our meeting short but would it be alright if I had Miss Moneypenny show you where you will be working?"

Piper began to get up. "That's perfectly alright, M. Thank you again," she said, shaking the man's hand.

She smiled at Bond.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Bond, I'll let you two get to it then."

* * *

><p>"And this is where you can eat, if you want to. Most people here tend to eat at their desks," Eve explained, pointing to a small cafeteria.<p>

"A lot of workaholics here, I take it?" Piper said with a grin.

Eve nodded, "You wouldn't believe how late some of them stay here, especially Q."

"Q?" Piper asked, puzzled.

"Our Quartermaster, every Quartermaster uses the code name Q," Eve explained as she continued to walk down the hallway.

"Actually, why don't we go there next? Q Branch is often in need of translations."

* * *

><p>The two women entered the room and all Piper could hear was the frantic typing of keyboards. She'd never seen so many computers in one place.<p>

"Moneypenny!" an older man called, raising his hand to her.

"I'll be right back," Eve said to Piper before walking away.

Piper stood nervously, unsure what to do with herself. She looked back at Eve who was deep in conversation. After much internal debate, she decided to look around the Q Branch. She wandered aimlessly, observing the various agents working away. She was in awe at their immense knowledge of technology. She spent so much time with old books that she occasionally forgot about how advanced the world really was.

She eyed one computer at the front of the room, facing the others. She assumed that this was the head of the branch's computer. Running her hand along the smooth white surface of the desk, she couldn't help but smile. She was really here, at MI6. Mum would've been so proud.

She picked up a mug from the desk. She noticed a Scrabble tile on the side. She smirked when she saw it was a Q. _"This guy must really like his code name," _she thought to herself.

"Piper!" she heard Eve call her name. She turned quickly, placing the mug back down on the desk.

Eve walked towards her, and Piper noticed she wasn't alone.

Beside her was a tall man, with dark brown hair and rimmed glasses. She noticed his attire, a cardigan and some brown slacks. _"An old grump then,"_ she thought. But as he came closer, Piper realized that he couldn't be much older than herself.

"Piper Anderson," Eve said, motioning to the man beside her, "Meet Q."

The man extended his hand out to her.

"Nice to meet you," Piper said, shaking the man's hand.

"Pleasure," he replied. He sounded distracted and Piper frowned a bit. Still, she couldn't help but notice that he was attractive.

Piper felt a blush creep onto her cheeks and looked down, hoping that Eve and Q hadn't noticed.

"Well," Eve said, breaking the silence, to which Piper was silently grateful, "I need to get Piper to her office."

Q nodded, "See you around Miss Anderson."

She nodded before exiting with Eve, who was already beginning to tell Piper about her new co-workers.


	2. Chapter 2: Settling In

It had been two weeks since Piper had started working and she'd yet to see Q. The other language specialists laughed when she inquired about it.

"Don't expect to see the Quartermaster," Paul said, "He's always locked away in that branch of his."

She nodded as Paul smiled warmly towards her. Paul was around her father's age and she felt comfortable asking him about the ins and outs of the office. He readjusted his glasses as he ran a hand through his silvery hair.

Piper sipped her tea as she watched Paul sift through a classified Russian document.

"Piper!" she heard a cheerful voice say.

She looked up and smiled when she saw Mary standing above her. Mary was one of the other language specialists and the most senior person in their department. Piper was slightly intimidated by her, but was trying to make a good impression on her boss.

Mary handed her a folder, "Could you run these to Q for me?"

Piper took the folder in her hand, nodding. "I'll be right back," she said, getting up promptly.

* * *

><p>"Breathe Pipe," she told herself.<p>

She had been around handsome men before. Amy brought many back to their flat in uni and tried on multiple occasions to set her up. Piper typically humoured her friend, but often left her 'date' alone in order to return to her studies, much to Amy's dismay.

She reminded herself that she had only met this Q once, and that she needed to start acting more like an adult.

She shook her head, laughing at herself, "You're being silly."

She continued down the hallway until she came to Q branch and took a deep breath before entering.

She walked past the various workstations before arriving at Q's desk. His brows were furrowed as he concentrated on the numerous lines of code on the computer in front of him.

"Q," she began.

"You can leave the folder on the desk, Mary," he said abruptly, clearly bothered by the distraction.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not Mary," she said firmly.

He sighed, turning away from his computer before realizing his error.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to break this code," he explained, motioning to his monitor.

"You mean hacking?" she said curiously.

"I suppose, though I detest the term. It's so…amateur," he said with a hint of arrogance.

Piper rolled her eyes; of course he was an arrogant computer geek.

She sighed, placing the folder on the desk.

"Well, I wouldn't want to pull you away from your precious 'hacking'," she said, making air quotes. She smirked, seeing the irritation spread across his face.

"Yes," he said, gritting his teeth, "you wouldn't."

As the redhead walked out of the room he glared before returning to his line of code. That girl was trouble, he could tell.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you'll be fine by yourself?" Paul asked with concern.<p>

She laughed, "For the hundredth time, yes. I'm going to call a taxi when I finish."

Paul sighed, as he pulled his coat on. "I just worry is all," he began.

"And I love you for it," Piper interrupted.

Paul smiled before kissing her on the cheek.

"I almost forgot to tell you, Jen's coming home soon for break," Paul continued, as he grabbed his keys.

Piper nodded, smiling at the older man, "I cannot wait to meet her. I'm sure she'll love knowing how much her dad boasts about her to his colleagues," she said, sticking her tongue out.

"Cheeky," Paul warned before laughing and waving goodbye.

* * *

><p>Piper grabbed her bag before turning the lights off in her office and walking out into the hallway. She noticed a light still on in Q branch and her curiosity got the better of her. She grinned deviously as she made her way into the branch.<p>

She saw Q, watching his screen, drinking from his mug. She walked out of the shadow towards him.

"You're here late," she said suddenly, causing the young Quartermaster to jump slightly.

"Do you make it a habit to jump out of shadows, Miss Anderson?" he asked.

She frowned; his tone was cold and dismissive.

"Not always," she replied with a grin.

"Well unless you need something, could you please leave me to my work?" he asked, not once taking his eyes off of the monitor in front of him.

Piper felt her heart sink a bit, but let her youth get the better of her.

"You know, I was just trying to be nice. You should try it sometime, instead of being an arse," she said bluntly, causing Q to look up at her.

Before he could reply, she turned and walked away. She wouldn't let him get the better of her.


	3. Chapter 3: A New Case

**Apologies for the delay in uploading, school's been a bit mad lately. Thank you for those of you who've reviewed/followed. This is my first Bond fic and first time uploading on FanFiction. I've pretty much complete this story (with minor edits to be done). So I'm going to try to post 2 chapters at a time or so. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Morning Eve!" Piper said cheerfully, waving to her friend.<p>

"Morning Piper, M's ready for you," she said with a smile.

Piper nodded and walked into the office. She instantly noticed a familiar mop of brown hair. She took a seat next to him, grimacing.

"Good," M began, "007 has uncovered a hard drive in Belarus. However he is unable to hack into it himself. From what he can decipher, it is in Russian. However he also believes part of the hard drive is in Belarusian."

Q scoffed, "Is that actually a language?"

Piper glared at him.

"Yes, actually, it is. It's also known as White Ruthenian and is spoken in Belarus, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. It's grammar and structure has changed over time, primarily during Soviet occupation," Piper replied with a smug grin.

"Right," M said, clearing his throat.

The two looked back at him. Piper looked down to her lap, slightly embarrassed that M had to witness their bickering.

"I'm suggesting that you two work together on this one. Q, we need to access the files on this drive but you'll need Piper here to translate their meaning," M explained calmly.

"Wouldn't it be better to have someone more…senior help me out?" Q asked. Piper simply rolled her eyes.

M sighed, "Piper has extensive knowledge in this language, something that neither Paul nor Mary have. Besides, I have other assignments for them."

Q sighed and crossed his arms. _"Grump,"_ Piper thought to herself.

She smiled brightly at M, "I won't let you down sir."

Q looked over at the redhead, rolling his eyes.

"Q?" M asked.

"We'll get started on it as soon as we can," he said, trying to force a smile.

M smiled, "Lovely, Bond will be back tomorrow, so for now, why don't you find a space for Piper to work in Q Branch?"

Q nodded grimly as he got up from his seat and left. Piper stood up, smiling at M before leaving the room.

Q was already halfway out the door, and Piper noted Eve's surprised expression.

Q turned and looked back at the girl, "Are you coming or not?"

She sighed, giving Eve a look of desperation before following.

* * *

><p><em>Meet for lunch?<em>

_-Eve_

Piper smiled at the message before responding to her friend. She needed to get out of Q branch; working near Q was driving her mental.

She laid out her Belarusian reference books on the small desk. She looked up to see Q far away, working on one of his stupid codes. Of course he'd set her up in the back corner like some unwanted houseplant.

She sighed as she opened her book. She figured it'd be useful to freshen up on her knowledge of the language before Bond came back. She looked up to see Eve standing next to Q talking. Suddenly she left the room and Piper noticed Q walking towards her.

Piper tensed up, preparing herself for another childish arguing match.

"Miss Anderson," he began.

"Piper," she said coldly, glaring at the man.

He sighed, "Piper," he began again. She looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Eve thinks that we should have lunch today so we can iron out any of our…issues before tomorrow," he said, looking down nervously at the redhead.

"Okay."

"What?" the Quartermaster asked, shocked at her quick response.

Piper stood up and put her coat on.

"I said okay."

* * *

><p>The pair walked silently, neither one willingly to speak.<p>

"Here," Q said, finally breaking their silence.

They entered the small café, which was only a few blocks away from MI6 headquarters. Piper smiled, reminded of her mother's fondness for quaint cafes. She felt a pang in her heart, and brushed the thought away.

As the pair sat, waiting for their meals, Q cleared his throat.

"So," he began.

"So," Piper repeated back.

"Tell me about yourself," Q asked.

"Like you really want to know," she scoffed.

He frowned. "I'm trying," he said.

Piper sighed, as stubborn as she was, she could tell he was being genuine.

"What would you like to know?" Piper asked.

"How many languages do you know?" he asked.

"Eleven."

"Wow," Q began.

She looked at him nervously, "What?"

He shook his head, "Nothing, that's just…impressive."

She shrugged, "I like language."

"What's your family like?" he inquired.

"I'd rather not discuss that," she replied flatly, hoping he would get the message.

"Well that's not very responsive. We're supposed to be working together and yet you won't even tell me about something as common as your family." he replied curtly.

She glared at him before getting up.

"I don't owe you anything. Matters of my life are my own and I will decide with whom I wish to discuss them with," she said, hoping he didn't notice the tears brimming in her eyes.

She stormed out of the café, and rushed back to MI6.

* * *

><p>She walked up to M's office and saw Eve.<p>

"Piper," she began, noticing the tears in the redhead's eyes.

"I'm taking a leave for the rest of the day," she said calmly, hoping the tears would cooperate long enough for her to make it out of the building.

Eve nodded sympathetically before watching the girl disappear out the door.

Piper raced out of the building as the tears streamed down her face, no longer caring what she looked like. She pushed past someone before making her way to the nearest tube station.

Q turned around as he watched the redhead storm off. After returning to Q branch, he was paged up to M's office.

He was met with the glare of Eve Moneypenny.

"I don't know what you did to that girl, but you'd better fix it," she said before ushering him into M's office.


	4. Chapter 4: Sick Day

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" Amy asked.

Piper shook her head as she curled up on her bed.

"Pipe…" Amy began.

"Don't," Piper said curtly.

"This isn't healthy," Amy said.

"I'll be fine," Piper replied solemnly.

Amy sighed before giving her best friend a kiss on the forehead.

"Call me if you need me, yeah?" she said before shutting the door.

Piper sighed as she brushed away the stray tears

* * *

><p>She stirred when she heard the buzzer to her flat. Groaning, she rolled out of bed. She pressed the intercom.<p>

"Amy, I swear if you forgot your keys again," she warned before she was cut off.

"It's Q," the voice said.

Her eyes widened, but something inside of her decided to let him up. She hit the button, waiting for the annoying computer geek to bother her.

"Why today," she muttered to herself.

* * *

><p>"You weren't in the office today," Q said matter-of-factly when she opened the door.<p>

She rolled her eyes as she moved to let him into her flat.

"I wasn't feeling well," she replied.

"You don't look sick," he said, studying her face. Her eyes were red, cheeks puffy.

"You look like you had a row with your boyfriend," he stated simply.

She glared at the man.

"I did not have a row with anyone," she said angrily.

Q rolled his eyes before sitting on her couch and opening his laptop.

"Well, we have work to do nonetheless," he began.

"You are ridiculous," she said incredulously. Before turning to return to her room.

"We need to work, Miss Anderson," he replied softly.

She turned, arms crossed.

"It's Piper," she said raising her voice slightly.

"Very well. We need to translate these files, Piper."

She stood firmly in place. "Just give me the files tomorrow Q, I'm tired."

He looked at the girl, noticing that she wasn't planning on budging. _"Stubborn," _he thought.

He stood up and left her flat before things escalated.

* * *

><p>Q bumped into a blonde on his way down.<p>

"Sorry," she said, smiling.

She looked at him curiously.

"Do you live here?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"No, I was here to see my co-worker, Piper," he explained.

Her smile widened.

"I'm her flatmate Amy!" she said warmly.

He nodded, smiling slightly.

"Can I ask you something?" Amy said, seriously.

He nodded.

"Can you keep an eye on her this week? It's always a bad week, what with the anniversary of her mum's death and all…" she said.

He tried to hide his surprised and nodded before quickly saying goodbye to the blonde.


	5. Chapter 5: Tea And News

Piper kept her head buried in her work. After Q showed up unannounced at her flat yesterday, she wanted to stay as far away from him as possible. Something about him was so irritating, his smug face and his obnoxious superiority complex. She sighed, reminding herself that she would be done her work soon.

After translating the files Q had given her, she got up and walked over to his desk.

He looked up at her, smiling slightly. She frowned, Q never smiled at her.

"Do you have anymore files for me?" she asked flatly.

He shook his head.

"Do you want some tea?" he asked.

Piper shrugged, "Sure, why not."

* * *

><p>Piper held the warm mug in her hands as she watched Q prepare his Earl Grey. She noticed his hands were shaking slightly.<p>

"Piper," he began.

She perked up at his use of her first name and looked over at the man curiously.

"I'm sorry I've been a right arse. Your friend Amy told me about your mum and I shouldn't have been so rude," he explained.

Piper felt her face burn with anger.

"What?" she asked.

Before she could rip into Q about prying into her life, Eve rushed into the kitchen.

"Piper," she said calmly. However Piper knew that tone, something had happened.

"Eve, what's wrong?" she asked.

"It's Paul, it appears he," she said before trailing off, unsure how to word it.

"What happened to Paul," Piper said, her voice rising as she choked back tears.

Eve sighed, "It appears that he committed suicide."

Piper's vision blurred, mixed with hot tears as she felt the world start spinning. Suddenly, the redhead fell to the ground and the world went dark.


	6. Chapter 6: Late Night

Piper woke up on a leather couch, as she blinked, she determined it was one of the waiting rooms Eve had showed her on her first day.

She groaned, clutching the back of her head. She must've passed out. Then she remembered Paul and she had to choke back the tears.

She brushed them away hastily as she made her way back to Q branch. She heard whispered conversations as she made her way into the room.

_"His wife left him apparently."_

_"I heard that his daughter was killed by her boyfriend. So tragic."_

She noticed some sympathetic looks and she sighed. She knew what those looks meant: they thought she was fragile. At her mother's funeral, she'd had enough of those to last a lifetime.

She continued to her desk and went back to work.

Q looked over at her puzzled, he could tell she was in pain yet she tried to hide it. Something inside of him wanted to go over and hold her, but he brushed that thought aside. He knew that he was the last person she wanted near her.

* * *

><p>It was close to midnight and Piper had finished her last document of the night. She sighed, putting her head in her hands. It had been a long day and she was glad to go home.<p>

"Piper," she head Q call softly. She looked over at him as she grabbed her things and made her way over to his desk.

He looked at her with concern.

"I'm sorry about Paul," he said gently.

And that was all it took to for Piper to break down. The tears began to stream down her face.

Q pulled her close to him and she clung to him tightly, still crying. He stroked her hair as she sobbed into his chest.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry about earlier," Piper said, as the pair sat in the back of the taxi.<p>

"Don't be sorry," Q said softly.

She ran her hands through her red hair, sighing. "I just hate crying in front of people," she explained.

"To be fair, you were crying into me, I didn't have a view of your face," he said with a smile.

She laughed.

"Thank you, Q," she said, smiling at the man seated next to her.

"Miss, we're at your stop," the driver said as he pulled over.

She wiped a stray tear from her cheek before opening the taxi door.

"Goodnight Piper," he said, giving her a quick nod.

"Night Q."


	7. Chapter 7: Funeral

**Bondlock reference in this chapter because I absolutely love that theory.**

* * *

><p>After apologizing profusely for telling Q about her mother, Amy made the two of them a cup of tea.<p>

"Seriously Pipe, I've got a big mouth, I thought he was the co-worker you spoke to," Amy explained as she handed Piper a mug.

Piper shook her head, "No, that was Paul." **Was**. It stung to talk about Paul in the past tense. Amy rubbed her back, pulling Piper into a tight squeeze.

"You'll be alright Pipe," Amy said reassuringly, though Piper wasn't so sure.

* * *

><p>It had been two days since Piper fainted in the kitchenette and today was Paul's funeral. As she made her way into the church, Piper played with the hem of her black dress as she looked for a pew to sit in. Eve had wanted to come along for support, but Piper insisted that she go alone.<p>

Her eyes scanned for an empty place when she saw a familiar pair of hazel eyes staring back at her.

* * *

><p>"Q," she whispered as she made her way into the pew, "What on earth are you doing here?"<p>

Q looked up at her, moving his anorak from the empty space.

"I'm doing the same thing you are. Paul helped me out on many occasions and he was a nice man. I wanted to pay my respects. And…"

"And?" Piper asked, raising her brow curiously.

He sighed, "And I thought you could use a friend."

She shook her head as she sat down, "We aren't friends, Q."

She paused realizing how incredibly mean that had sounded. "I mean…"

"You're right," Q said, looking her in the eye, "We aren't, but I'd like to be."

He smiled, placed his hand on top of hers giving it a light squeeze. She smiled back at him.

"I'd like that too."

* * *

><p>As the two walked back to MI6, Piper continued talking.<p>

"And when I was fifteen, I found my mother after she'd hanged herself," she said grimly.

Q nodded, "What about your dad?"

Piper sighed, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"He was never involved much. When I turned eighteen, I went away to uni. He sort of disappeared after that. Didn't even show up to my graduation," she said, biting her lip. She was angry about it still, but didn't want Q to see how much it bothered her.

"I'm sorry," Q said quietly.

She shook her head, looking up at him and smiling.

"S'alright. What about your family, Q?"

He smiled at the redhead.

"My brothers and I don't tend to get along well. My oldest brother works for the government and my other brother has his own business, consulting of sorts," he explained as he held the door open for her.

"Sound like a lot of fun at Christmas," Piper commented.

The pair laughed.

Piper felt at ease talking with Q, and she wondered why they'd been at odds beforehand.

* * *

><p>The pair finished the last of the Belarus hard drive when Eve came racing into Q branch.<p>

"Eve," Piper said cheerfully. Her smile disappeared when she was the stern look on Eve's face.

"What happened?" Q asked.

Eve handed a piece of printed-paper to Piper.

"We just received this, can you tell me what it says," she asked.

Piper took the piece of paper, which was written in the same Belarusian dialect she'd spent the last week translating.

Suddenly her eyes widened.

"What is it?" Eve asked nervously.

"They know where Bond is," she stammered.

"Well, we can move him then, can't we?" Q asked.

Piper shook her head, "They know his address, his next assignment. His alias. I think…I think they're going to try to kill Bond."


	8. Chapter 8: Q's Flat

Piper sat nervously in M's office as people worked around her. She was in a daze; her work in translation had never dealt with anything this serious before. She supposed though, that this was the deal she made when she joined MI6.

"We have another one," Eve said, as she handed Piper the piece of paper.

Piper scanned the page before gasping. The young redhead began shaking furiously.

"Piper? What does it say Piper?" M asked firmly.

Piper gulped, "Get rid of your language bitch. Or we will. Watch your back Piper Anderson. It…it has my address listed. That's a picture of my flat."

She clutched the chair as she began shaking her head.

"This can't be happening. Oh god, Amy. What am I going to tell Amy?" she said.

Eve put her arm around the young girl.

"We can put Amy in a safe house. However we're going to need to keep you two separated. If they have photos of your flat, we need to assume they recognize your flatmate," Eve said calmly.

"Where am I going to go?" Piper asked.

"She can stay with me," another voice said from the doorway. The two women turned and saw Q standing in the doorway smiling.

* * *

><p>He opened the door to his flat and ushered the redhead in.<p>

"Q, I really can't impose on you like this," she began.

He simply raised his hand, quieting her.

"Piper," he said, "We're friends. Friends help each other out. Besides, it'll be nice to have someone else around."

She sighed, smiling back at him.

"Still, thank you for letting me stay," she said warmly.

The young quartermaster smiled back at her as he began to show her around the flat.

* * *

><p>The pair sat on the couch, watching the news on television. Piper was still trying to process the day's events. Her life had been threatened and she knew that she should be more worried, but something about being with Q made her feel safe.<p>

She felt her eyes grow heavy as she leaned into him.

Q was surprised by Piper's movement but wrapped his arm around her lovingly, pulling her closer to him. He knew the last week or so had been difficult for her, but he did really enjoy her company.

After the news ended, he turned the television off and gently got up. He grabbed an afghan from the chair in the corner of the room and placed it over Piper.

He smiled, looking down at her. She was so peaceful in her sleep, her firey hair tangled around her face. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear.

"Goodnight, Piper."


	9. Chapter 9: Typical Saturday

Piper woke up, disoriented by her surroundings until she remembered that she was at Q's flat.

She groaned as she sat up on the couch.

"Morning," she heard him say from the kitchen.

She turned to see him pouring himself a cup of tea. His dark curls were slightly disheveled and he was dressed in plaid pants and a loose white t-shirt. Piper couldn't help but stare at his form and how attractive he was with bedhead. She blinked and realized that she hadn't said anything.

"Hi," she said groggily as Q brought her a cup of tea, which she accepted with a smile.

She moved the afghan so Q could sit next to her on the couch.

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked cautiously, hoping not to set off the redhead.

She sighed deeply.

"I've been better," she began, "but I've also been worse. I just need to get my mind off of it for a bit."

He nodded.

"Well, it is Saturday, so that shouldn't be a problem," he explained.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Piper jumped slightly, startled by the sudden noise. Q got up and answered the door. He stood there for a few moments before returning to the couch.

Piper looked at him nervously.

"That was just Douglas, one of the agents watching the flat. He wanted to check in on us. Err…I mean, you and I. " Q said, blushing slightly.

Piper chuckled at Q's pink cheeks. She pat him on the thigh gently.

"S'alright Q, I know what you meant."

* * *

><p>"C'mon, just one drink Q!" Piper said, holding the glass out to the quartermaster.<p>

Q shook his head profusely.

"I try to limit my drinking," he said.

"It's ONE drink," she retorted.

She gave him a knowing look and he sighed before taking the glass from her. She grinned as she sipped at her rum and coke.

* * *

><p>"It's absolutely frustrating being compared to those two. Mycroft is so well-revered in the government and Sherlock is just brilliant as well!" Q said dramatically.<p>

Piper laughed as she sipped her drink.

"You're brilliant too," she said, smiling at him.

He shrugged as Piper moved closer to him, putting her hands on his shoulders.

"I mean it. At first I thought you were just some overzealous computer geek, but you're bloody brilliant Q. You help save lives everyday."

He smiled, looking her in the eye.

"You're pretty great too," he replied.

"I guess. I just help translate things, everyone else does the real work," she replied with a sigh.

Q raised his hand to cup her cheek. Piper was startled by his action, but couldn't help but find Q's touch intoxicating.

"Don't say that," he said, bringing his lips closer to Piper's.

Piper inhaled deeply.

"You are amazing," he whispered, before bringing their lips together.


	10. Chapter 10: Mistakes

Piper spent the rest of the night lying in the guest room, staring at the ceiling in the dark.

She wasn't sure what to do.

After they kissed, the two had promptly moved apart before heading off to bed.

Piper was shit at these situations and she knew that Amy would nag at her about being in a flat with a gorgeous bloke and not doing anything about it.

She groaned, covering her face with her hands. It was troubling enough trying to deal with the death threat she'd received.

She lay motionless in the dark, until she heard a knock at the door. She turned her head before getting up.

She opened the door to a tired Q. His hair was a mess, as if he'd been running his hands through it. He looked at her.

Piper looked down to the ground when she saw what lie behind his eyes. There was a spark of affection hidden in those hazel eyes, and the thought of that becoming true petrified her.

"Q," she whispered, looking back up at him.

Before he could respond, she spoke again, "About earlier, that was a mistake. I'm sorry."

She watched the spark fade from his eyes. He nodded his head.

"I completely agree."

Piper smiled, hoping to hide the pain that she was causing herself and Q.

She shut the door before tearing up.

"Shut up Pipe," she whispered to herself in the dark, "It's for the best."

* * *

><p>Q and Piper walked quickly into MI6. M had called that morning, requesting their presence.<p>

Eve greeted them in the hallway.

"Morning Eve," Piper said softly.

Eve smiled, leading them into M's office.

"Good morning Piper, Q," M said as the pair sat down.

Piper did everything she could to not look over at Q, the pair had barely spoken all morning.

"We have apprehended our culprit in the Belarus scandal, it appears it was an assassin named Viktor Dashnikov. He acted alone but was attempting to infiltrate our network in hopes to access the CIA. Apparently he was in the early planning stages of a terrorist attack on America that he was hoping to sell to the highest bidder," M said.

Piper nodded, looking down at her hands.

"Congratulations on the work well done. Piper, this also means that you and your friend Amy will be able to return to your flat today. Well done, I will see you tomorrow," M said as Piper smiled before leaving the office.

* * *

><p>After putting the last of her languages books in her bag, Piper left the guest room, sighing to herself.<p>

Q was sitting on the couch, typing furiously on his laptop.

"Well," Piper said, breaking the silence between them.

He looked up at her.

"Thank you Q," she said, smiling warmly.

He nodded, "No problem Miss Anderson,"

Her heart broke at his use of her last name again. She turned, leaving Q to work in peace.

"It's for the best," she muttered to herself as she waited in the elevator.

* * *

><p>After a long conversation with Amy, Piper was ready to sleep. She'd dodged most of Amy's questions about Q, she was too confused to talk about what had transpired in that weekend.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11: Work Never Ends

**Wow! Thank you so much everyone who's reviewed/followed this story. I honestly thought no one would even pay attention to it. I apologize for the delay in my update. School's been busy, but I've also been in the process of rewriting. I originally ended the story in ch. 11, but the ending was way too anti-climatic for my liking. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! :)**

* * *

><p>Piper was looking forward to her return to work. She couldn't wait to get to work on something in a language other than Belarusian.<p>

She saw Bond making his way toward her. She smiled brightly at the agent.

"Bond," she said warmly.

"Piper," he replied, hugging her gently.

"I heard it was you who apprehended our Belarus assassin. Thank you for thwarting my potential death," she started, laughing, "There's something us languages buffs don't get to say very often."

James laughed.

"No problem, kid," he said, winking at her when he noticed her frown.

The two continued walking down the hallway when they ran into Q.

"Morning Bond, Miss Anderson," Q said, avoiding Piper's gaze.

Bond smiled. Once Q was out of earshot he looked over at Piper.

"What happened there?" he asked curiously.

Piper groaned, "I'm an idiot is all."

* * *

><p>"Can you take these to Q branch when you have a second?" Mary asked, leaving a folder on Piper's desk.<p>

She nodded, though she knew that she didn't want to face Q just yet.

After a half hour, Piper needed a break from her translation. Picking up the folders, she made her way to Q branch.

Her heart ached when she saw him at work. His brow was furrowed as he typed away. She tried to think of a way to stealthily put the folders on his desk without him noticing her presence. _Where's Bond when you need him?_

Q looked up from his code and stared at her. She looked away, uncomfortable with his gaze.

She placed the folders on his desk while he continued to stare at her. Turning away, she rushed out of Q-branch.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day, Piper found any excuse to stay at her desk. She sighed, as she sent off her translated document.<p>

"You look stressed Piper. I know this was a tough weekend for you. Why don't you head off early tonight?" Mary said from her desk. She smiled warmly at the redhead.

Piper nodded, "Yeah, you're probably right. Thanks Mary."

Waving to her co-workers, she found herself in the hallway. As she walked past Q-branch, she was reminded of that first late night.

She shook herself out of the memory, only to notice Q staring directly at her. His eyes bore into her, and she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. She turned her head, unable to stand the scrutiny and shuffled away.

* * *

><p>Piper was thankful that Amy had decided to go visit her mum and dad for the week. Amy said it was a "well needed stress vacation," but the wink she gave her when she mentioned Q before leaving made Piper believe that wasn't her only intention.<p>

Piper curled up on the couch, tea in hand as she flipped between channels. Casablanca was starting, and Piper had to stop to watch. It had always been one of her favourite films growing up and despite the bittersweet ending; she always found the story hopeful.

She heard a beep on her laptop and placed her tea on the table. She opened her email, seeing an encrypted file from work. Curiously, she opened the attachment.

_Miss Anderson,_

_Answer your telephone._

She paused; confused at the message when suddenly her cell phone rang.

"Hello," she said cautiously.

"Miss Anderson, we require your assistance with an urgent manner, there is a car waiting outside your flat. Please come promptly," M explained.

Piper raced to grab her work essentials before leaving the flat.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, come again?" Piper said incredulously.<p>

M sighed.

"There is a serious threat on our national security Piper, I don't have time to repeat myself," M said sternly.

"I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure you just said that there's an imminent terrorist attack," Piper said, her eyes widening.

"Miss Anderson, this is the role you assumed when you took a position here. We deal with security. Now Bond is preparing, I need you to help him. He's down in Q-branch," M explained as his phone rang. He simply gave her a nod before answering the call.

* * *

><p>Piper tried to act natural as she made her way closer to Q-branch. At least with Bond there, she could ignore Q.<p>

She saw the two standing in front of a table, as Q explained his gadgetry.

"Bond, Q," she said, giving each of the men a nod.

"Piper," Bond said with a smile. Q simply ignored Piper's presence.

Bond looked to her, silently asking if she wanted him to intervene. She sighed and shook her head at the agent.

"Okay, let's get you brushed up on your Greek," she said with a smile.

* * *

><p>Bond left shortly after a grammar lesson from Piper, leaving her and Q alone. Nervously, she played with the hem of her shirt.<p>

"So, tracking incoming intelligence then?" she said, looking over curiously at the man in front of her.

"Yes," Q answered curtly.

"Q…" she replied, softly.

He looked up at her, sighing.

"Not now Miss Anderson," he said sternly.

She looked down to her feet, defeated, before moving to her previous desk, the furthest away from Q. For once, she was actually glad to have the distance.


	12. Chapter 12: Field Study

She couldnt even look his way.

They had come to a lull in the tracking. Bond had found his way into the Greek extremist groupSuspects detained,s voice declare over the radio link.

She sighed. It was over.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand," M said, as he looked over the letter.<p>

"I need to take a six month sabbatical, M. First, I feel clouded by my ability to work. Also, I found a great opportunity in Italy to study archaic languages. I feel it would be beneficial to MI6 if I went," she said promptly.

"I agree with you Piper. But are you sure?"

She smiled, "Definitely."

* * *

><p>"I'm going to miss you so much," Eve said, puling the redhead into a tight embrace.<p>

Piper laughed, "I'll miss you too Eve. But I'll be back soon enough. Besides, you could always come visit."

Eve smiled, "Now there's an idea."

The girls laughed as the final preparations were made.

Bond hugged Piper tightly, "Bye kiddo."

She frowned but quickly smiled at the agent.

"Goodbye Bond. Try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone," she said in a faux stern voice.

Bond's mouth turned up slightly, "I can't promise anything, Piper. Keep safe."

She nodded before pulling an envelope out of her bag.

"Could you give this to Q for me?" said asked softly. Bond nodded gently.

Piper walked off toward the plane, waving to her two friends.

* * *

><p>Q typed furiously on his computer. His concentration was broken when he saw Bond enter his office. Bond walked over to his desk and placed an envelope on his desk.<p>

"She asked me to give this to you before she left, " he explained before leaving.

Q nodded before returning to his coding. After a few minutes, he couldn't stand the curiosity. He opened the envelope to reveal a hand written note.

_Q,_

_I know this is cowardly of me to write this in a note, rather than say it to your face. But, as you know, words have always been an easier medium for me._

_First, I wanted to say I'm sorry for all the rude things I said when we first met. I wasn't very nice to you. If I'd made more of an effort, perhaps I wouldn't be in this position now. I know you don't want anything to do with me, as you should, but I needed you to know the truth before I left._

_The truth is, that night at your flat terrified me. I've never been able to keep anyone I care about in my life for very long. People have a way of leaving me. I was so scared that you would leave me, that I cut our ties before you could sever them. But the truth is, being with you was the happiest night I'd had in a long time. I love working with you, laughing with you. I really do care about you Q, quite a bit actually. I'm just shit at showing people I care._

_I couldn't stay at MI6 knowing you hated me so much. You never had to say it, but I saw it in the way you looked at me and the way you said my name. When the opportunity arose to leave on a field study, I jumped at it. _

_I do hope you are doing well. I will miss you, very much. Please know that._

_Yours,_

_Piper_

Q sighed, as he closed his eyes. He knew he'd been a twat these past few months, making working with Piper difficult. Every time he saw her or heard her voice, he just wanted to smile. But his pride got the better of him, an anger still hidden inside.

Until now.

She had been scared. He felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. He had written her off as a tease who toyed with his heart, when she'd really just been worried about getting too close to him.

Now she was gone. Q looked around the empty office as he slumped back into his seat.

Maybe, just maybe, she'd decided to stay instead.

Or maybe Q was just desperately hopeful that he hadn't ruined everything.


	13. Chapter 13: Returning Home

_Three Months Later_

"I'll see you for dinner at five okay? Ciao!" Piper called to Carlotta, her closest friend in her Milan.

Piper entered her building, smiling at Gianna, the elderly woman who owned the building with her husband.

"Bella!" she called to Piper, "Bella, you have a message."

She handed Piper the paper. Curiously, Piper went over to the phone to call the number written down.

"Hello, this is Piper Anderson…"

* * *

><p>"We'll get you on the next flight out Piper," M assured the girl over the phone. Hanging up, he sighed before leaving his office.<p>

"Miss Moneypenny…" he began, as the woman looked up from her desk at him.

"Please book a flight for Miss Anderson, for tonight," he asked before returning to his office.

* * *

><p>Piper stood nervously with her luggage as she waited for the car to arrive. She wasn't used to the English air anymore, and felt herself shiver at the breeze.<p>

She watched as a car pulled up in front of her and saw Eve open the door. The two women smiled at each other before Piper got into the car.

Eve hugged her tightly.

Piper felt herself clinging to her friend, as the reality of her return home finally hit her.

* * *

><p>"Miss Anderson?" the doctor asked, as Piper rose from her seat. He smiled warmly at her.<p>

"I warn you, he's in quite bad shape, and he's been put in a medically induced coma. However, we're afraid he might not last very long. He listed you as his emergency contact," the doctor explained as he opened the door.

He looked peaceful, deep in sleep. If it hadn't been for the tubes and heart monitor, Piper wouldn't have thought anything was wrong. She took a seat next to the bed as the doctor left the room.

Grabbing his hand, she felt a tear form in the corner of her eye.

"Hi daddy, it's Piper."


	14. Chapter 14: Visit to MI6

Piper sat by her father's bedside for days. She'd only gotten up a handful of times, mainly to eat. She'd rung Amy to let her know she was in town and had her things taken out of storage and moved to Eve's.

She didn't want to trouble Eve, but the woman had insisted that Piper be around friends. Her room in her flat with Amy had been sublet for her six-month field study. Although Amy assured her that she could find room for her, Piper felt it would be imposing on her and Laura, an American studying for the term in London.

"Piper," she heard Eve call as she entered the room.

She looked up at Eve with a shadow of a smile.

"You should come back to my place and rest, you look exhausted," Eve continued. Piper looked awful. Heavy dark bags appeared under her eyes and her fiery hair was tied up hastily.

Piper sighed.

"You're right."

Eve smiled knowingly.

* * *

><p>After a long hot shower Piper had curled up into the soft down sheets in Eve's guest bedroom.<p>

Being in a guest bedroom reminded her of Q. She hadn't contacted him since she'd gotten back. She hadn't heard from him since she'd left London and she wondered how he was.

After a few hours, Eve rapped softly on the door.

"Pipe," she called gently, "M needs you to come in to the office. I can tell him that we can do it tomorrow if you want."

Piper sighed as she rolled over in the bed.

"No," she replied, "It's fine, I'll go in now."

* * *

><p>Walking through MI6 was strange. Three months away from its walls had made her forget how entrapping it could feel to be inside. Agents passed by, people she didn't recognize. It was amazing what could change in a few simple months.<p>

The pair made it to M's office as Eve squeezed Piper's hand gently.

"After this I can take you back to the hospital if you'd like," Eve said. Piper nodded as she knocked on the door. Giving one last smile to her friend, she walked into M's office.

M smiled at her.

"Piper, it's lovely to see you. Of course I wish it were under better circumstances. How is your father doing?" he asked gently.

She smiled at the man, "He's still in a coma, but he's stable."

M nodded, gesturing to her to sit down.

"Now, since you have returned to England, we were hoping to possibly have you start back at work. I understand that family is an obvious, and important, concern. So we would like to give you as much time as you need. However, once you feel you can, we could use your expertise here."

Piper nodded.

M smiled again, "I know you were making strides at your field study, but we've had some cases in your absence that could have benefited from your presence at MI6,"

Piper sighed, "To be honest sir, coming back to MI6, especially with all that's going on with my father, sounds great. It will be nice to be back home."

M nodded.

"Splendid. That's all I needed to discuss with you. Have a good afternoon."

* * *

><p>Walking through MI6 was strange. Three months away from its walls had made her forget how entrapping it could feel to be inside. Agents passed by, people she didn't recognize. It was amazing what could change in a few simple months.<p>

The pair made it to M's office as Eve squeezed Piper's hand gently.

"After this I can take you back to the hospital if you'd like," Eve said. Piper nodded as she knocked on the door. Giving one last smile to her friend, she walked into M's office.

M smiled at her.

"Piper, it's lovely to see you. Of course I wish it were under better circumstances. How is your father doing?" he asked gently.

She smiled at the man, "He's still in a coma, but he's stable."

M nodded, gesturing to her to sit down.

"Now, since you have returned to England, we were hoping to possibly have you start back at work. I understand that family is an obvious, and important, concern. So we would like to give you as much time as you need. However, once you feel you can, we could use your expertise here."

Piper nodded.

M smiled again, "I know you were making strides at your field study, but we've had some cases in your absence that could have benefited from your presence at MI6,"

Piper sighed, "To be honest sir, coming back to MI6, especially with all that's going on with my father, sounds great. It will be nice to be back home."

M nodded.

"Splendid. That's all I needed to discuss with you. Have a good afternoon."

Eve had jumped up when Piper came out of M's office. Piper smiled to her friend and asked her to stay.

Piper wanted to walk through London for a bit before making her way back to the hospital. Although it had only been a few months, she felt it necessary to reacquaint herself with her city.

Eve nodded knowingly, giving Piper a spare set of keys to her flat.

* * *

><p>Piper walked past her old department, saying hello to her colleagues. She accepted their well wishes for her father and a few hugs before leaving the office.<p>

Then she passed Q branch. Part of her knew she should go in and see Q. She stood in the hallway, looking into the office. She saw Q, his back turned to her. But then she saw a petite blonde grinning up at him. She watched the two talking, assuming it was just new employee in the department.

And then she saw the two kiss and felt her heart sink.


	15. Chapter 15: Sidewalk Confrontations

Her eyes welled up as she hastily wiped the burning tears away. She'd cried too much these past few days. Q turned and noticed her in the hallway. The two stared at each other for a while before Q began moving towards the door.

Piper did the only thing she could think of; she ran.

* * *

><p>Sprinting down the hallway, Piper pushed past people while muttering quick apologies.<p>

"Piper!" she heard Q call, which fuelled her to run faster.

Reaching the main doors she pushed them only to be met with the winter air. Checking behind herself, she continued rushing out onto the busy street.

Once she felt she was far enough away from MI6, she allowed herself to slow down. She found a lamppost to hold herself up as she caught her breath. If Bond had been there she knew he would've teased her for her inability to run a few simple miles.

She closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped at the unexpected contact. Turning around quickly she found herself looking into the eyes of someone she'd so desperately wanted to see. However, now she could bear to look him in the eye.

Q wrapped his arms around her and she felt herself slowly wrap her arms around his shoulders.

After a few seconds she remember the scene she'd just seen and pushed him off.

"How dare you?" she said loudly, not caring about the stares the pair were attracting.

Q looked at her apologetically. "Pipe…" he began.

"Don't you dare," she began angrily, "I told you how I felt. I told you the truth and you did nothing. I didn't hear from you. Eve contacted me; hell Bond even sent a postcard once. But you, the only person I wanted to hear from, never sent me a damn thing. I know I hurt you Q, believe me I lay awake thinking about it night after night. But then you just moved on, as if it was nothing."

Piper was shaking with anger, tears brimming.

"I didn't know what to think. You left with that note. You were going to be gone for six months. I'd been a twat and pushed you away. I didn't want to ruin that trip for you. Brienne and I just…happened. I'm so sorry Piper. I didn't want to have to wait for you, only to expect that you'd moved on," Q said calmly.

Piper scoffed, "You're pathetic."

Q winced at her words before anger flashed behind his eyes.

"If you cared so much, why didn't you tell me you'd come back?"

Piper turned to walk away.

"Why won't you answer me?" Q called to her.

She turned around, tears now running down her face.

"My father was in an accident. I was the emergency contact. He's in a coma," she said flatly before turning and walking away from a stunned Q.


	16. Chapter 16: Back to Work

She brushed the tears away from her cheeks hastily as she fumbled to find the keys to Eve's flat.

After her spat with Q, she'd walked as quickly as she could back to Eve's. All she wanted to do was hide under the covers. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Eve and Bond standing in the kitchen. The pair turned to look at her. She could see a pained look in their eyes.

"Piper," Eve began softly, "I'm so sorry. The hospital just called."

And then Piper Anderson broke down into sobs as Eve held her close.

* * *

><p>The next few days were a blur. Eve helped Piper make the arrangements for her father. It was a small service at the cemetery.<p>

Piper thanked the last few people as they left before sighing to herself.

She placed her hand gently on the tombstone that held her mother's name, her father would be interned in the spring, but Piper felt it was only right to hold his service with her mother present.

"You'd just come back to me, why did you have to go too?" she asked in a whisper, wiping the tear from her eye.

The wind blew coolly as the redhead walked away from the grave.

* * *

><p>The next week Piper work up promptly and walked into Eve's kitchen.<p>

"Morning," Eve said warmly.

"Eve, I'm going in to work today. M said I should come back when I felt ready," she said with a smile.

Eve looked up at her friend, concerned, "Are you sure? There's no harm in taking more time off."

Piper nodded.

"Believe me, I just want to get back to my books."

* * *

><p>Piper found herself immersed in her work immediately. Mary and the other members of her department were shocked. She knew they were trying to console her, offering her tea every hour or so.<p>

"Piper, mind running this to Q for me?" Mary said warmly, placing a folder on her desk.

Piper looked up with a painted on smile, "No problem."

She walked hastily to the division, hoping that this first time seeing Q would go well. She'd spent days trying to devise the best way to make it less awkward, but she knew that it was going to be an uncomfortable situation for both of them.

As she walked into Q, she was greeted by some of the other staff that greeted her kindly.

She confidently walked up to Q, noticing that Brienne was practically latched onto his shoulder. She couldn't imagine Q being the kind of person who'd appreciate it.

She cleared her throat, as Brienne glared at the redhead. Piper responded with a warm smile.

Brienne walked past Piper, muttering under her breath.

"дурная сука (durnaja suka – 'stupid bitch')," she said softly.

Piper turned and glared at the back of the girl's head. _Did she just insult me in Belarusian?_

"These are for you," she said, handing him the file.

"Thanks Piper," he said warmly, "I'm sorry to hear about your father."

She looked down to her shoes, "Thank you," she said in a small voice before turning on her heels.

She stopped before looking at Q.

"You should tell your girlfriend that it isn't polite to swear at people in other languages, especially when they are a languages specialist," she said coolly.

Q looked at her confused.

"Brienne?" he asked, as Piper nodded.

"Brienne doesn't know any languages, well maybe a bit of French from school but that's it."


	17. Chapter 17: Late Nights

**Author's Note: I apologize for not updating in a while, I've been switching over computers and realized that some rewrites were in order for the story. I will say we're getting into the down arc, but I promise the rewrites will be worth it. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's been leaving such lovely reviews during my absence. I have two chapters that I'm going to upload now, and I'm working on getting the rest of the story. Get ready for things to start getting interesting! ;) **

* * *

><p>Piper couldn't help but shake the feeling that something about Brienne was…off. Why would she lie about knowing other languages? But then Piper though that maybe she was the one being paranoid, so she tried to convince herself that she'd simply thought she had heard Brienne swear at her in Belarusian.<p>

Or at least, that's what she was hoping.

* * *

><p>Piper scribbled another note to herself in the margin of her Greek book as she continued to translate another retrieved file. Having work to do was good, it kept her busy. She found that the moment she stopped, she thought about her dad, or Q. Neither was good for her sanity so she simply didn't stop working.<p>

Which led to nights like this, it was 1 a.m. and Piper Anderson was still working away at her desk. Mary had left her just after 9 p.m., but not after expressing some concern that Piper should get some rest. Piper simply smiled, nodded and continued working away.

Even Eve came down to check on Piper. But with each person who came to her desk, Piper shooed them away with a bright smile and a cheerful "I'm alright, promise!"

But she had a feeling that they all knew that deep down, she was far from fine.

* * *

><p>Q looked at his watch, sighing. If he could run without sleep, he'd stay at MI6 all night. However, even he knew his limits. He walked down the empty halls, accompanied only by the sound of his footsteps.<p>

He noticed a light on and a familiar redhead working furiously away at her desk.

* * *

><p>Piper found her eyelids beginning to drop as she was conjugating a verb, but she simply reached over for the coffee on her desk. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to regain her focus.<p>

"Piper?" a voice called behind her.

Great, now she was even hearing his voice in her subconscious. But when she heard it again, she realized that he was actually in the room.

She turned around looking at him with a smile on her lips, hoping that he wouldn't be able to see through it.

"Hey Q," she said casually as she turned back around to her work.

Q stood there, unsure of what to say to her as she continued typing away.

She sighed, "Look Q, if you don't need something I need to finish this."

She kept her eyes on the screen, biting her lip to stop the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Are you okay Pipe?" he asked softly. She felt her heart ache at his tone, sweet and caring.

She swivelled in her chair to face him again, armed with her smile.

"Of course," she said.

Q simply looked at her. She avoided his gaze, uncomfortable by the way he had likely seen through her facade.

"You're not," he answered simply.

She looked down.

"I'm not."

He began to come closer to her and Piper felt herself letting her guard down. But something inside of her switched.

"But I will be. Really, just go home Q. You're probably tired," she said quickly.

As she began to turn away, she felt his hand on her forearm.

"Please don't lie Piper, not to me."

She felt a stray tear fall down her cheek.

"You need to sleep. I can't leave you here. You can sleep on my couch. Just a friend helping another friend out," he finished.

She nodded.

* * *

><p>It felt strange to lie on Q's couch, Piper felt a strange sense of familiarity tinged with pain.<p>

But as the sun began to shine in, she realized how uncomfortable she was. The last time she'd been here, she'd rejected a great guy because she was afraid. And then she ended up leaving on a field study shortly after.

She checked her phone.

5 a.m.

Piper heard some rustling from Q's room and decided it was now or never.

* * *

><p>"Morning," Q said as he padded into the kitchen. He looked over to his couch, only to see it empty with his afghan neatly folded.<p>

On the counter was a note.

_Q,_

_Thank you for letting me sleep here. I would've stayed but I really can't do this._

_It's too hard._

_Piper_


	18. Chapter 18: Back to Q-Branch

Piper spent the whole day avoiding Q-branch. Eve asked if Piper had stayed at the office overnight.

"No, Q ended up badgering me into getting some sleep on his couch," she said nonchalantly.

Eve's eyes widened but Piper put her hand up before her friend could respond.

"And no, it was a terrible idea. If my heart was broken before hand, now it's shattered."

Eve just sighed as the redhead walked off quickly.

—

Piper clutched the file as she walked to Q-branch. She really wanted to ask Mary if she could get someone else to give it to Q, but decided that she was still too tired to deal with the questions that would arise.

It was lunch and Piper noticed how much quieter the builder was during the noon hour. She really didn't want to do this but she knew that she was being childish. She really couldn't avoid Q or Q-branch forever.

As much as she hated to admit it, their departments worked closely together.

Q-branch was empty, which wasn't much of a surprise to Piper. She knew that Paulina, one of the technicians had planned a birthday get-together. However, it was doubtful that Q would stop working to celebrate his worker's birthday.

When she saw that familiar brown mop of hair, she knew she was right.

—

It took a few seconds before Piper realized that she had frozen in place. Q looked over from his computer, staring at her. She couldn't make out the emotion on his face, it looked hurt, angry and relieved all in one.

"Hi," she said before walking toward his desk.

She extended the file to him before speaking again. "Mary wanted me to send this file over to you. If you could send her the appropriate files before 4, that would be great."

He took the file from her, placing it on his desk.

"Piper…" he began, before hearing an alarm.

Quickly he grabbed her arm and rushed her towards a locked room in the corner. After entering a code, he shut the door behind them.

"What's going on?" she asked nervously.

"There's been a security breach, this is Q-branch's safe room," he explained.

She nodded, finding a seat in the corner. Q sat opposite her before the two heard the door open. 


	19. Quick Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**Hey Everyone! I just wanted to let you know that there's three chapters left to this story! I'm reviewing them and planning on uploading them soon. **

**But in case you wanted another Q fix (who doesn't?), I just uploaded the first chapter of my new story 'Source Code', new OC, new drama. I'd love it if you'd read it and let me know what you think!**

**Thanks.**

**Alicia**


	20. Chapter 19: Safe Room

**I just realized that some chapters got posted out of order. Apologies! It should make a lot more sense now.**

* * *

><p>"Brienne!" Q said getting up to hug the girl in front of them. However, Piper noticed that the girl had a cold expression.<p>

Then Piper noticed the gun in her hand.

Q backed away. "Brienne! What's going on? Brienne, are you o-?"

"I'm not Brienne," she said loudly, interrupting the Quartermaster. "But you already knew that, didn't you," she said with a grin looking over at the redhead.

Piper nodded softly.

"Who are you?" she asked in Belarusian, hoping that her suspicions weren't correct.

"Even your accent is perfect. If you'd just stayed in Italy like you were supposed to, we wouldn't be in this mess," Brienne responded.

Brienne looked over at Q who was looking between the two women, completely confused.

"My name is Natalia Kassenkov and your precious 007 killed my partner," she said before grinning slyly.

"So now, I'm going to make your precious MI6 pay."  
>With that she raised her gun and Piper shut her eyes.<p>

A loud bang was heard and the safe room door shut.

* * *

><p>When Piper opened her eyes again, she felt a sharp pain. Her vision was blurry but she could see Q kneeling above her.<p>

"Piper, stay with me!"

Her hand found her shoulder, where she felt a warm wet substance. Pulling her hand away, she saw her fingers were red.

She pushed herself to sit up, ignoring Q's protests to stay on the ground. She pulled her white shirt off, trying to ignore the growing red patch. She proceeded to grab at the opposite sleeve, before putting it her teeth.

"What are you doing?" Q asked.

She began ripping the fabric up, answering him in between.

"Bond" Rip.

"Story" Rip.

"Egypt mission."

She looked at her arm carefully remembering Bond's story. The bullet lay on the carpet next to her, so she simply began to wrap the fabric around her wound tightly.

Q put his hand on her arm gently.

"Piper," he said softly.

She shook her head, before kissing his cheek lightly.

She looked him in the eye.

"I'm sorry Q," she said before getting up and racing out of the room.

Q jumped up to the door, only to watch Piper lock the door from the outside. (She smiled to herself that the override code was his birthday August 4).

"I'm sorry," she mouthed before running off.


	21. Chapter 20: The Redhead with the Gun

Piper ran her hand through her hair.

She had no idea what she was going to do. All she knew was that having the only person who spoke Belarusian in a locked room wasn't going to help the situation. She walked down the hall carefully, her heart was beating so loud that she could hear it in her ears.

As someone who tried to avoid confrontation, Piper didn't know how to even approach the prospect of a Belarusian intent on hurting more people in MI6.

Suddenly she saw Bond staking out the hallway. She pulled away from the corner she was hidden behind only to see another gun pointed at her.

"Piper?" Bond asked as he lowered his gun.

"Thank you, I've had too many guns pointed at me today," she said pointing to her arm.

"What the hell happened?"

"Brienne from Q-Branch is actually Viktor Dashnikov's partner. She wants to kill you, and hurt MI6. She already took a shot at me. But I happened to remember one of your stories about your Egypt mission."

Bond smiled at the redhead.

"I knew you were tough for a language buff. But if you're going to help me, take this."

Bond handed the girl a gun, which was hidden inside his blazer. Her eyes widened as she held it.

"You know I've never fired one of these things, right?" she said nervously.

He nodded as the two began to move down the hallway.

"If everything goes the way I want it to, you won't have to," he replied as they checked an empty room. 


	22. Chapter 21: The End

**Author's Note: This is it! I can't believe this story is done. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed/kept up with this story (even when I disappeared off the face of the planet for a while). I started this wanting to add another Q story after I realized that I'd read all the Q/OC stories that this site had to offer. I'm hoping to continue writing Bond fiction, especially more Q stories. I'm not sure if Piper and Q's story will continue or if I'll introduce you all to some new OCs instead. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and thank you again for supporting my story. **

* * *

><p>Piper's rapid heartbeat had slowed down as she and Bond rounded another hallway. However it started back up when she spotted Natalia standing at the other end.<p>

"Why didn't you stay with your little boyfriend?" she taunted as she pointed at a gun at the pair.

"Because someone needed to stop you," Piper replied, raising her gun.

Bond also raised his gun, narrowing his eyes at Natalia.

* * *

><p>Natalia shot at Bond but the double 0 dodge the bullet. He shot back and Piper found herself in the middle of a gunfight between two skilled fighters.<p>

Suddenly her adrenaline kicked in as she watched Natalia and Bond. She was hidden in the corner with her gun raised. The fighters didn't notice her in the corner but Piper kept a close eye on the two.

Natalia and Bond had dropped their guns and begun a fist fight. After knocking Bond to the ground, Natalia raised a knife behind Bond's back. Piper aimed at the woman before squeezing the trigger. She dropped the gun to the floor, eyes widening.

* * *

><p>The gunshot echoed in the hall as Natalia dropped to the floor. The woman lay on the floor, unable to move. It was then that Piper realized that she'd actually shot her in the back.<p>

Bond spoke into his watch and held his gun against Natalia's head.

"Don't move," he said sternly.

Natalia looked up at Piper. The look of shock disappeared from her face instantly.

Piper glared at her before speaking to her in Belarusian.

"Next time, don't swear at the foreign languages specialists. You stupid bitch."

Within seconds, agents flooded into the hallway and took Natalia away.

Bond looked over at Piper shaking his head.

"I guess I underestimated you, kid."

Piper glared at the agent, "I'm not a kid. Now can we get someone to look after my arm?"

* * *

><p>After getting stitched up and cleared, Piper made her way to M's office.<p>

She was greeted by a variety of reactions.

M was the first to greet her, hugging her tightly as if she was his daughter arriving home from uni for summer holiday.

"Miss Anderson, I should be discussing how dangerous it was for you to go out into a high risk situation with no actual training," he began before sighing, "But I'm just glad that you are alright."

She smiled.

Eve hugged her gently. "You gave me such a fright Piper, what were you thinking?"

Piper shrugged, wincing at the pain in her shoulder.

"I just thought that maybe my skills might actually be applicable to the situation," she explained.

Eve laughed, shaking her head.

Bond just grinned at her, she laughed at his expression. He looked proud.

Then there was Q. He enveloped her in a hug, holding onto the redhead tightly.

"You scared me," he said softly in hear ear so that only she could hear him. She nodded.

"I'm sorry," she whispered back.

M cleared his throat, as Q and Piper separated.

"I want you to go get some rest Piper, Q has offered for you to stay at his flat," M said. Piper nodded. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought that she saw M smile slyly.

* * *

><p>As the two entered Q's flat, Piper began to feel her pain medicine wearing off. She fumbled through her bag, finding her water and the pill bottle. Taking the pill in her hand, she swallowed it and drank some water.<p>

After swallowing the pill she went over to sit on Q's couch. She sank into the deep cushions, glad to be somewhere familiar after the whirlwind day. She didn't even notice that Q had taken a seat beside her.

"So…" she began.

She looked up at Q, who was intently waiting for her to continue.

"What were you going to say to me, before all of this happened, I mean…"

Q smiled softly.

"I was going to say that I was sorry. For being such an arse. And that seeing you working that night broke my heart because I realized how much pain I'd caused you. But when you came back to my flat, you fell asleep almost immediately. I noticed how beautiful and peaceful you look when you're asleep and realized that I still love you. Or rather, I've always loved you."

He looked at her, waiting for a response.

The redhead smiled before pulling him close and kissing him. She pulled away gently as Q reached out and held her cheek in his hand.

"I love you too Q."

_The end._


End file.
